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P4 Server Administration Documentation | 2025.2

# Set protections with p4 protect

Run `p4 protect` immediately after installing P4 Server for the first time. Before the first call to `p4 protect`, every P4 Server user is the `superuser` access level (see Access levels). This means that any user can access and change anything in the depot. The first time a user runs `p4 protect`, a protections table is created that gives `superuser` access to that user from all IP addresses, and lowers all other users' access level to `write` permission on all files from all IP addresses.

The P4 Server protections table is stored in the `db.protect` file in the server root directory. If `p4 protect` is first run by an unauthorized user, the depot can be brought back to its unprotected state by removing this file.

The `p4 protect` form contains a single form field called `Protections:` that consists of multiple lines. Each line in `Protections:` contains subfields, and the table looks like this:

Example: A sample protections table

    Protections:
        read     user     emily   *                    //depot/elm_proj/...
        write    group    devgrp  *                    //...
        write    user     *       192.168.41.0/24     -//...
        write    user     *       [2001:db8:1:2::]/64 -//...
        write    user     joe     *                   -//...
        write    user     lisag   *                   -//depot/...
        write    user     lisag   *                    //depot/doc/...
        super    user     edk     *                    //...

(The five fields might not line up vertically on your screen. They are aligned here for readability.)

## Proxy and protections

To apply the IP address of a P4 Proxy user’s workstation against the protections table:

1. Make sure that a broker or proxy is in place.

2. Prepend the string `proxy-` to the workstation’s IP address.

For instance, consider an organization with a remote development site with workstations on a subnet of `192.168.10.0/24`. The organization also has a central office where local development takes place; the central office exists on the `10.0.0.0/8` subnet. A Perforce service resides in the `10.0.0.0/8` subnet, and a P4 Proxy resides in the `192.168.10.0/24` subnet. Users at the remote site belong to the `remotedev` group, and occasionally visit the central office. Each subnet also has a corresponding set of IPv6 addresses.

To ensure that members of the `remotedev` group use the proxy while working at the remote site, but do not use the proxy when visiting the local site, add the following lines to your protections table:

    list    group    remotedev     192.168.10.0/24              -//...
    list    group    remotedev     [2001:db8:16:81::]/48        -//...

    write   group    remotedev     proxy-192.168.10.0/24         //...
    write   group    remotedev     proxy-[2001:db8:16:81::]/48   //...

    list    group    remotedev     proxy-10.0.0.0/8             -//...
    list    group    remotedev     proxy-[2001:db8:1008::]/32   -//...

    write   group    remotedev     10.0.0.0/8                    //...
    write   group    remotedev     [2001:db8:1008::]/32          //...

The first line denies `list` access to all users in the `remotedev` group if they attempt to access P4 Server without using the proxy from their workstations in the `192.168.10.0/24` subnet. The second line denies access in identical fashion when access is attempted from the IPV6 `[2001:db8:16:81::]/48` subnet.

The third line grants `write` access to all users in the `remotedev` group if they are using a P4 Proxy server and are working from the `192.168.10.0/24` subnet. Users of workstations at the remote site must use the proxy. (The proxy server itself does not have to be in this subnet, for example, it could be at `192.168.20.0`.) The fourth line grants access in identical fashion when access is attempted from the IPV6 `[2001:db8:16:81::]/48` subnet.

Similarly, the fifth and sixth lines deny `list` access to `remotedev` users when they attempt to use the proxy from workstations on the central office’s subnets (`10.0.0.0/8` and `[2001:db8:1008::]/32`). The seventh and eighth lines grant write access to `remotedev` users who access the P4 Server directly from workstations on the central office’s subnets. When visiting the local site, users from the `remotedev` group must access the P4 Server directly.

### Direct connections or intermediaries

When P4 Server evaluates protections table entries, it also considers the setting of the `dm.proxy.protects` configurable.

dm.proxy.protects defaults to `1`, which causes the `proxy-` prefix to be prepended to all client host addresses that connect through an intermediary proxy, broker, or replica. The `proxy-` prefix indicates that the connection is not direct. If you specify `proxy-*` for the `Host` field, that will affect all connections made via proxies, brokers, and replicas. A value such as `proxy-10.0.0.5` identifies a client machine with an IP address of `10.0.0.5` that is connected to the server through an intermediary.

If `dm.proxy.protects` is set to `0`, the `proxy-` prefix is removed. This allows you to write a single set of protection entries that apply both to directly-connected clients and clients that connect through a proxy, broker, or replica. A single set of protection entries is more convenient. However, in some cases a connection through one or more intermediaries might be less secure. If you use the `0` setting, all intermediaries must be at release 2012.1 or higher.

## Permission subfields

Each line specifies values for the subfields:

Subfield | Meaning
--- | ---
`Access Level` | Which access level (`list`, `read`, `open`, `write`, `review`, `owner`, `admin`, or `super`) or specific right (`=read`, `=open`, `=write`, or `=branch`) is being granted or denied. Each permission level includes all the permissions above it (except for `review`). Each permission right (denoted by an `=`) only includes the specific right and not all of the lesser rights. You can grant an access level to a user or group, after which, if you require finer-grained control, you can deny one or more specific rights.
`User/Group` | Does this protection apply to a `user` or a `group`?
`Name` | The user or group whose protection level is being defined. This field can contain the `*` wildcard. A `*` by itself grants this protection to everyone, `*e` grants this protection to every user (or group) whose username ends with an `e`.
`Host` | The TCP/IP address of the host being granted access. This must be provided as the numeric address of either one specific host (for instance, `192.168.41.2` or [2001:db8:195:1:2::1234]) or a subnet expressed in CIDR notation. The host field can also contain the `*` wildcard. A `*` by itself means that this protection is being granted for all hosts. The wildcard can be used as in any string, so `192.168.41.*` is equivalent to `192.168.41.0/24`. You cannot combine the `*` wildcard with CIDR notation, except at the start of a line when controlling proxy matching. If you are using IPv6 with the `*` wildcard, you must enclose the address with square brackets. `[2001:db8:1:2:*]` is equivalent to `[2001:db8:1:2::]/64`. Best practice is to use CIDR notation, surround IPv6 addresses with brackets, and to avoid the `*` wildcard. For more about controlling access to a P4 Server via the P4 Proxy, see P4 Proxy.
`Files` | A file specification representing the files in the depot on which permissions are being granted. P4 Server wildcards can be used in the specification. "`//...`" means all files in all depots. If a depot is excluded, the user denied access will no longer see the depot in the output of ``p4 depots``. Nor will the depot show up, for this user, in the default branch, client, and label views.

## Access levels

The access level is described by the first value on each line. The permission levels and access rights are:

Level | Meaning
--- | ---
`list` | Permission is granted to run P4 Server commands that display file metadata, such as `p4 filelog`. No permission is granted to view or change the contents of the files.
`read` | The user can run those P4 Server commands that are needed to read files, such as `p4 client` and `p4 sync`. The `read` permission includes `list` access.
`=read` | If this right is denied, users cannot use `p4 print`, `p4 diff`, or `p4 sync` on files.
`open` | Grants permission to read files from the depot into the client workspace, and gives permission to open and edit those files. This permission does not permit the user to write the files back to the depot. The `open` level is similar to `write`, except that with `open` permission, users are not permitted to run `p4 submit` or `p4 lock`. The `open` permission includes `read` and `list` access.
`=open` | If this right is denied, users cannot open files with `p4 add`, `p4 edit`, ``p4 delete``, or `p4 integrate`.
`write` | Permission is granted to run those commands that edit, delete, or add files. The `write` permission includes `read`, `list`, and `open` access. This permission allows use of all P4 Server commands except `protect`, `depot`, `obliterate`, and `verify`.
`=write` | If this right is denied, users cannot submit open files.
`=branch` | If this right is denied, users cannot use files as a source for `p4 integrate`.
`review` | Provides list and read access, plus use of the `p4 review` command. This is a special permission granted to review scripts.
`owner` | Allows access to the ``p4 protect`` command to the specified user or group for the specified path. To learn how to delegate management of parts of the protections table, see SubPath. Also enables permission to be given to users to configure P4 Extension instance. To learn more, see Instance configuration permissions for users for p4 extension in P4 CLI Reference.
`admin` | For P4 Server administrators. Grants permission to run P4 Server commands that affect metadata, but not server operation. Provides `write` and `review` access plus the added ability to override other users' branch mappings, client specifications, jobs, labels, and change descriptions, as well as to update the typemap table, verify files, obliterate files, and customize job specifications.
`super` | For P4 Server superusers. Grants permission to run all P4 Server commands. Provides `write`, `review`, and `admin` access, plus the added ability to create depots and triggers, edit protections, edit user groups, delete users, reset passwords, and shut down the server.

Each P4 Server command is associated with a particular minimum access level. For example, to run ``p4 sync`` or `p4 print` on a particular file, the user must have been granted at least `read` access on that file. For a full list of the minimum access levels required to run each P4 Server command, see How protections are implemented.

The specific rights of `=read`, `=open`, `=write`, and `=branch` can be used to override the automatic inclusion of lower access levels. This makes it possible to deny individual rights without having to then re-grant lesser rights.

For example, if you want administrators to have the ability to run administrative commands, but to deny them the ability to make changes in certain parts of the depot, you could set up a permissions table as follows:

    admin      user      joe       *             //...
    =write     user      joe       *             -//depot/build/...
    =open      user      joe       *             -//depot/build/...

In this example, user `joe` can perform administrative functions, and this permission applies to all depots in the system. Because the `admin` permission level also implies the granting of all lower access levels, `joe` can also write, open, read and list files anywhere in the system, including `//depot/build/`. To protect the build area, the `=write` and `=open` exclusionary lines are added to the table. User `joe` is prevented from opening any files for edit in the build area. He is also prevented from submitting any changes in this area he might already have open. He can continue to create and modify files, but only if those files are outside of the protected `//depot/build/...` area.

### Stream spec permissions

`readstreamspec` | The user can display a stream spec with `p4 stream -o`
`=readstreamspec` | If this right is denied, users cannot execute `p4 stream -o`
`openstreamspec` | This gives the user permission to revert, resolve, shelve, or open for edit a stream spec.
`=openstreamspec` | If this right is denied, users cannot revert, resolve, shelve, or open for edit a stream spec.
`writestreamspec` | The user can submit or modify a stream spec.
`=writestreamspec` | If this right is denied, users cannot submit or modify a stream spec.

If any streamspec permissions exist for any user:

- users without explicit streamspec permissions have no access to stream specs
- `list` continues to provide p4 streams access

If no streamspec permission exists for any user:

- `list`, `open`, and `write` permissions control stream spec access for the p4 edit, p4 resolve, p4 revert, p4 shelve, p4 submit, p4 streams, and p4 stream commands.

- `list` grants `p4 streams` access for stream spec paths.

- Any `open` or higher permssion for a user anywhere grants stream spec `edit` and `write` permissions to that user for all stream specs.

## Default protections

Before `p4 protect` is invoked, every user has superuser privileges. When `p4 protect` is first run, two permissions are set by default. The default protections table looks like this:

    write        user        *        *        //...
    super        user        edk      *        //...

This indicates that `write` access is granted to all users, on all hosts, to all files. Additionally, the user who first invoked `p4 protect` (in this case, `edk`) is granted superuser privileges.

## Read and open

The simplest method of granting permissions is to give `write` permission to all users who don’t need to manage the P4 Server system and `super` access to those who do, but there are times when this simple solution isn’t sufficient.

Read access to particular files should be granted to users who never need to edit those files. For example, an engineer might have `write` permission for source files, but have only `read` access to the documentation, and managers not working with code might be granted `read` access to all files.

Because `open` access enables local editing of files, but does not permit these files to be written to the depot, `open` access is granted only in unusual circumstances. You might choose `open` access over `write` access when users are testing their changes locally but when these changes should not be seen by other users. For instance, bug testers might need to change code to test why particular bugs occur, but these changes are not to be written to the depot. Perhaps a codeline has been frozen, and local changes are to be submitted to the depot only after careful review by the development team. In these cases, `open` access is granted until the code changes have been approved, after which time the protection level is upgraded to `write` and the changes submitted. `open` access is also useful with shelves. Using `open` is enough to shelve changes but not submit them and can be useful for code reviews.

To see which permission is required for a given p4 command, see Access levels required by P4 Server commands.

To learn about the standard users, operator users, and service users, see Types of users in the P4 CLI Reference.

## IP address

The access rights granted to any user are defined by the union of mappings in the protection lines that match the user name and client IP address.

Example:

Lisa, whose P4 Server username is `lisag`, is using a workstation with the IP address `195.42.39.17`. The protections file reads as follows:

    read      user    *        195.42.39.17     //...
    write     user    lisag    195.42.39.17     //depot/elm_proj/doc/...
    read      user    lisag    *                //...
    super     user    edk      *                //...

The union of the first three permissions applies to Lisa. Her username is `lisag`, and she’s currently using a client workspace on the host specified in lines 1 and 2. Thus, she can write files located in the depot’s `elm_proj/doc` subdirectory but can only read other files. Lisa tries the following:

She types `p4 edit depot/elm_proj/doc/elm-help.1`, and is successful.

She types `p4 edit //depot/elm_proj/READ.ME`, and is told that she doesn’t have the proper permission. She is trying to write to a file to which has only `read` access. She types `p4 sync depot/elm_proj/READ.ME`, and this command succeeds, because only `read` access is needed, and this is granted to her on line 1.

Lisa later switches to another machine with IP address `195.42.39.13`. She types `p4 edit //depot/elm_proj/doc/elm-help.1`, and the command fails because on this host, only the third permission applies to her, and she only has read privileges.

See also Exclusionary protections.

## SubPath

You can delegate management of a sub-path of the protections table to non-super users or groups by creating an entry with the mode `owner`. These entries must have a unique path, without wildcards, except for a trailing ellipsis (`…​`).

Users with `super` or that have been granted `owner` for a path can run the `p4 protect` command specifying the granted path as an argument, accessing the sub-protections table for that SubPath.

The server appends any entries in this table to the effective protections table directly below the owner entry. If an owner entry is removed, so are any entries in the sub-protections table for that SubPath. Neither owner nor super entries can be added to a sub-protections table, and the paths of any other entries must be within the scope of the path of the sub-protections table.

If a path argument is specified, and an owner entry with the same path exists, the sub-protections table for that SubPath is accessed instead of the main protections table.

Suppose super user Maria issues the following commands:

    # Create a user called Sally
    p4 user -f sally

    # Create a depot called stats
    p4 depot stats

    # Edit the protections table
    p4 protect

The last command opens the protections table in an editor. Let’s suppose the protections table contains an exclusionary protection that prevents any user except Maria from accessing `//stats/dev/...`:

    Protections:
        write user * * //...
        list user * * -//stats/dev/...
        super user maria * //...

Suppose Maria wants to delegate control of the sub-protections table for the path `//stats/dev/…​` to Sally. Maria adds a line that makes Sally the owner of the `//stats/dev/...` SubPath:

    Protections:
        write user * * //...
        list user * * -//stats/dev/...
        owner user sally * //stats/dev/...
        super user maria * //...

Sally can now access the SubPath that Sally owns, displaying with `-o`:

    p4 -u sally protect -o //stats/dev/...

and editing without `-o`:

    p4 -u sally protect //stats/dev/...

but Sally cannot display the entire Protections table:

    p4 -u sally protect -o

## Exclusionary protections

A user can be denied access to particular files by prefacing the fifth field in a permission line with a minus sign (`-`). This is useful for giving most users access to a particular set of files, while denying access to the same files to only a few users.

To use exclusionary mappings properly, it is necessary to understand some of their peculiarities:

- When an exclusionary protection is included in the protections table, the order of the protections is relevant: the exclusionary protection is used to remove any matching protections above it in the table.
- No matter what access level is provided in an exclusionary protection, all access levels for the matching files and IP addresses are denied. The access levels provided in exclusionary protections are irrelevant. See How protections are implemented for a more detailed explanation.
- Without exclusionary mappings, the order of items in the protections table is not important.

Example:

An administrator has used `p4 protect` to set up protections as follows:

    write       user       *           *       //...
    read        user       emily       *       //depot/elm_proj/...
    super       user       joe         *       -//...
    list        user       lisag       *       -//...
    write       user       lisag       *       //depot/elm_proj/doc/...

The first permission looks like it grants write access to all users to all files in all depots, but this is overruled by later exclusionary protections for certain users.

The third permission denies Joe permission to access any file from any host. No subsequent lines grant Joe any further permissions; thus, Joe has been effectively denied any file access.

The fourth permission denies Lisa all access to all files on all hosts, but the fifth permission gives her back `write` access on all files within a specific directory. If the fourth and fifth lines were switched, Lisa would be unable to run any P4 Server command.

## Display protections

Use the `p4 protects` command to display the lines from the protections table that apply to a user, group, or set of files.

With no options, `p4 protects` displays the lines in the protections table that apply to the current user. If a `file` argument is provided, only those lines in the protection table that apply to the named files are displayed. Using the `-m` flag displays a one-word summary of the maximum applicable access level, ignoring exclusionary mappings.

P4 Server superusers can use `p4 protects -a` to see all lines for all users, or `p4 protects -u`user``, `-g` `group`, or `-h` `host` flags to see lines for a specific user, group, or host IP address.

### spec depot for protect forms

Use the `-s` option to display protection information from a protect table referenced by the file revision specified with the `spec` argument. For example, the following command returns information about the user sam in the third revision of the protections table:

    C:\> p4 -u super protects -s //spec/protect.p4s#3 -u sam
    write user* * //...

This is useful when users lose access privileges at a given time and you want to check what changes were made to the protection table just before that time.

To use this option, you must define a spec depot for protect forms. This automatically saves revisions to the protect specification every time you edit the protection table. See the description of the `p4 depot` command in the P4 CLI Reference for information on how to create a spec depot.

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